The Moment
by Bailey Zayac
Summary: How can someone who's seemed to hate you for so long...be madly in love with you? And would give up anything for you?
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

This was the moment he'd been waiting for. He finally had Draco Malfoy cornered. He was _so ready_…until he saw those tears. Until he saw those artistic hands clutching the sink, until he heard the sobs. He was frozen where he stood.

Draco's head snapped up, and he caught Harry's eyes. He didn't yell…didn't scream at him or insult him. He just stared, looking more defeated than ever. After a few moments that seemed like forever to both boys, Draco shook his head, his eyes closing for a brief second.

"I suppose you've caught on, Potter?" He said in a scratching voice.

Harry didn't know how to respond. He took a few steps forward, stopping a foot from Draco. He reached out, slowly, and latched his hand around Draco's wrist. He pushed up the white cotton of Draco's shirt. There, faded but still visible, was a tattoo of a skull, a snake sliding out of its mouth. Draco turned to face Harry. He shook his head again, before a tear slid down his face. Harry looked down at the slightly shorter boy, shocked by what he saw. This wasn't the bastard that he had grown to hate. He looked so tired, so sad…Draco locked his eyes with Harry's, a pleading gaze.

"Are you really a hero, Potter?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. Harry narrowed his eyes, dropping Draco's arm.

"Why do you always have to be a prick?" He screamed. Draco's expression didn't change. He extended his arm and grabbed Harry's hand.

"Save me." He murmured. Harry furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?" He said, trying to wrench his arm away from Draco's, but said boy tightened his grip in response.

"Please." He stepped closer to Harry, so that their chests where almost touching. He laid his head in the dip of Harry's neck. "They forced me to do this and I," his voice cracked, "I just can't fight anymore. I can't hide anything anymore. How I feel, either…" He nuzzled Harry's neck. "Please, save me."

Harry gulped. He didn't know what to do. He knew, somehow, that Draco wasn't lying. He meant what he was saying, Death Eater or not. That unnerved Harry. He had only figured out his…preference…earlier that year. He had been spending 'quality time' with Ginny, and that's when it hit him. She was pissed, of course, but Harry wasn't about to lie to himself. He also wasn't about to romance his arch-enemy turned Death Eater! He wouldn't complicate his life like that. So, he shoved Draco away. He stumbled, but caught himself on the sink. He looked at Harry with big eyes, resembling very much a faithful dog that had just been kicked.

"You're the only one who can save me!" He pleaded. "And I-"

"Save it." He turned to leave, but the sound of a hitched breath made him turn back around.

Draco was standing there, head down, shoulders slouched. He was sobbing, the force of it shaking his frame. Harry sighed, pulling him into a one-armed hug. Draco collapsed against him.

--

Harry took Draco to the only place he knew of that would give them complete privacy. The Room of Requirement was decorated much like a bedroom when they arrived, with a large canopy bed in the middle of the room, dawning baby blue sheets. Harry set Draco down on the edge, and began to pace the gray carpet.

"How do you expect me to help you?" He said finally, after a few agonizingly quiet minutes. Draco shrugged, which in turn infuriated Harry. He took a threatening step towards the sitting boy and was shocked when said boy shrunk away from him.

"I'm sorry!" Draco said miserably. "I just don't know! I'm only certain that you're the only one who can! And you're the only one that I-"

"Shut up!" Harry interrupted. He really didn't want to hear Draco's confession. He didn't want to have to deal with it. He was only here to do his civic duty…Draco stood.

"Why do you keep doing that?" He asked, visibly upset. Harry turned his head away.

"Because it would complicate things. And I don't want you any more upset then you already are, or we'll never get this solved."

"So you're saying that it's a definite no? That you'd reject me?" He sounded put out. Harry looked at him incredulously.

"Of course it would be a no?" He said. "How could you think that I would ever-"

Harry had only kissed two other people in his life. They had both been girls, mind you, so when Draco's lips pressed pleadingly against his own, he was quite shocked. Draco's delicate hands gripped at his dark gray sweater, and Harry was sure he was crying. Why did people always cry when they kissed him? He didn't respond, keeping his lips immobile, but he didn't push him away, either. He couldn't bring himself to. Draco pulled away, but his lips were still so close to Harry's, not even a piece of gossamer silk could have fit in between them.

"_Please_…" Draco had said this to him only minute's before, as well, but Harry had never known a word to hold so much feeling. He could feel Draco's anguish, his heartbreak, his fright, his _disparity…_The blonde's grip on his sweater tightened, and Harry could feel the boy's hands shaking. Draco opened his eyes, and Harry saw the blue orbs swimming in tears. His own green eyes smoldered into Draco's. He noticed, due to their closeness, that Draco had freckle on his cheek. He absentmindedly reached up and ran his finger over it. Draco leaned into his touch, shutting his eyes for a moment. Harry cupped the boy's face, noting its softness, and the fact that it was freezing cold. He moved his hands to Draco's neck, feeling still the coldness. Draco took this as an invitation, and leaned in to kiss him again. Harry pulled away.

"Don't." He said bluntly. His grabbed Draco's wrists and wrenched them off of his shirt. He was aggravated all of a sudden, and he gave Draco a rough shake. The blonde shook like a rag doll, and then something akin to a leaf, fluttering in the breeze. Harry pushed him into a sitting position on the bed.

"I'm here to 'help' you. And that's it. That's as far as this relationship goes." Harry hissed. Draco nodded, but all of a sudden he was sobbing again. Harry sighed, aggravated. He was getting annoyed by the amount of crying Draco was doing. Finally, Harry lost it.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? I CAN'T SAVE EVERYONE! WHAT THE _FUCK_ DO YOU EXPECT FROM ME?" He screamed. He grabbed Draco's shoulders and shook him again, harder. "HUH? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?"

"STOP!" Draco pleaded. "Stop screaming at me! Stop it!" He seized the chest of Harry's sweater. "Please stop it. You're hurting me. I have a big enough headache as it is without you shaking me!"

Harry stopped shaking him, but stared at him. He remembered the kiss, and pulled his hands away as if he was burned. Draco stood up, and pulled Harry close to him, having still a good grip on his sweater.

"Harry…please. I know you want this. Why can't you just give in and admit it?" He whispered. Harry scoffed.

"Newsflash, Malfoy. Not everybody in this fucking school wants you!" He growled. Draco sighed.  
"Everyone but you, Harry. And frankly, I'd trade them all for you." He let go of Harry, but proceeded to straighten out the other boy's sweater. As his nimble hands ran up Harry's chest and over his shoulders, Harry shuddered. "I wish you would understand. I wish you could see what really goes on in my house. You'd see me differently. You'd see my parents differently, too. They're not evil, you know."

"I doubt that, Malfoy-" Harry began, but Draco put a finger to his lips.

"I don't want to talk about that right now. I just want…" He leaned up, almost as if to kiss him, but he stopped right before their lips touched. "I just want you to know that I love you."

"Malfoy-"

"Draco." Draco corrected him. Harry sighed.

"_Draco_. You need to understand something. It's not you…I'm just not gay." He lied. Draco shook his head.

"That's not what Hermione said."

Harry almost choked. "What? WHAT!" He screamed.

"Hush. We've only pretended to hate each other. We've been speaking through owls for the past three years…since she punched me actually. She wrote me to apologize and I just…spilled everything to her. She's a really great girl, Harry. Anyway…I told her about how I felt and she told me that you confided in her your 'secret.' She told me to go for you…that you needed someone like me in your life."

Harry growled.

"That bitch!" He hissed. Draco gasped.

"How dare you? She's trying to do us a favor! We need each other!" Draco smiled at him, but Harry didn't look as though he agreed.

"I don't need a _fucking_ thing from you, Malfoy! Not a GOD DAMN thing!" He hollered. Draco shook his head.

"Stop being so hard headed, Harry. I need you, I know that much. And you never know…If you rescue me, I might be inclined to be that warm body, if ever you should need it." He looked into Harry's eyes with a heated look. Harry snapped out of his rage at this.

"Malfoy…are you suggesting that I would use you for sex?" He asked, astounded. Draco nodded, absentmindedly fixing Harry's loose tie.

"If that's the only way for me to be close to you." He looked away. "I'm very good at pretending."

"You'd have to pretend to like having sex with me?" He hissed. Draco shook his head.

"No. I'd pretend that you love me. I'd pretend that your hands were touching me out of compassion, instead of lust…"

That broke Harry's heart. Just the thought of having to do that was enough to make him sad. He grabbed Draco's wrists.

"If I ever do that with you, it'll be because I love you. I'd never do that with someone if I didn't feel something." He said definitely. Draco looked put out. He looked down at their hands. Harry's skin looked good against his, they were both slightly pale, but the two colors mixed nearly perfect. Draco shook his head, trying to pull away. Harry held on, and Draco sighed.

"Harry, let me go." He said, biting his lip. One of Harry's hands shot out.

"Don't do that, you'll get a sore." He said, using his thumb to pull Draco's lip from under his front tooth. Draco caught his hand.

"What does it matter?"

Harry frowned. He let Draco go.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I can't say I love you too, Draco. It's just…I've hated you for so long…this is all coming to me as a shock! I mean…you and Hermione? Friends? I'm reeling!"

"Oh, is it really that shocking? The evil ice prince Draco Malfoy has a best friend? A level headed Gryffindor, to be exact?" He said hotly. "I do have a personality, Harry! I do have friends! Oh…and I have feelings, too. Feelings that can be _hurt_!" He was pissed now. "I can't _believe_ I thought you could help me! Well, I guess it's not matter of you _could _as opposed to you _would_." He got in Harry's face. "Am I not good enough for you to save? Would I be a blemish on your perfect record? Would you be afraid of what Ron would think? Or maybe you don't trust me, is that it? You don't believe me? I'm Draco Malfoy, of _course_ I'm lying! Why would I ever tell you the truth? HOW COULD A SLIPPERY, COLDHEARTED SNAKE EVER FALL FOR A PERFECT, LIBERAL, BEAUTIFUL-"

Harry kissed him. Harry had seen the fire in Draco's blue eyes. The same fire he had, and of course…this was the only way to shut Draco up. And he needed to do that.

"Hush." He whispered as he pulled away. "Calm down. I never said I wouldn't help you."

Draco touched his lips, looking into Harry's eyes.

"Harry…you don't understand how I feel when you kiss me. It's amazing." He wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. "Please don't tell me I can't do it whenever I want." He kissed Harry's jaw. "And please don't say you don't feel it too. I know you do."

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, hugging him to his chest. All of a sudden, he wanted the closeness. He wanted to feel intimacy, and he sat down on the bed with Draco next to him, almost on his lap. The other boy was clinging to him, desperately, and at this moment, that was okay. He lay back, holding onto Draco. Draco made a sound in the back of his throat; halfway in between a moan and a whimper, and Harry looked down at him. His blue eyes were so hopeful, so full of an emotion he couldn't place, but he was drawn to it, and he kissed him passionately. Draco gasped, his pale hands holding either sides of Harry's face. Harry buried his hands in Draco's blonde hair. He rolled on top of him, and Draco arched his back against him, begging for closeness. Harry pulled away, looking at Draco intensely.

"You're right…I do want this. You're…you're so beautiful." He breathed. Draco blushed, pushing Harry's bangs away from his face.

"I love you." He whispered. Harry stopped dead, dropping his hands.

"Draco…I…" He looked distraught. Draco put a finger to his lips, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them, a tear escaping, rolling down his cheeks, to fall on the pillow.

"It's okay…I can pretend…" he whispered. With slow, calculated tenderness, he pressed his lips to Harry's neck, burying his pale face there. Harry's breath hitched.

"No…I told you I wouldn't make you do that…" He said. Draco pulled away, and Harry noticed how vulnerable he looked underneath him.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco's gray eyes were soft, and sad, and the corners of his mouth were turned upwards into a bittersweet smile. One hand reached up to smooth back Harry's unruly black hair, while the other rested gently on the raven's hip.

"I told you, Harry...I want you either way. For years now, I couldn't see myself with anyone but you. If this is the only way I can have you, then so be it. I'm not a stranger to suffering...I'm not good at sharing, though. If you do end up marrying that Weasley girl, would you promise me something? Don't forget I exist. If this is the one and only time we can be together like this, that's fine. Just don't stop talking to me completely. Hopefully, by the end of this war, we'll all be friends. I'd even come to the wedding...anything to see you happy. That's all I've ever really wanted, anyway. I'll be smiling on the outside, I'll toast to the both of you, but just remember one thing. On the inside, there will be nothing left. I don't want to pressure you or make you feel guilty, love. This wasn't my choice. Hell, if I had a choice, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't complicate you like this. But I can't help this...whatever this is, it took ahold of me a long time ago." Draco's voice was a mixture of contempt, devotion, and self-betrayal.

Harry could do nothing but stare. He couldn't conjure up a reply to what the Slytherin had just said to him. Normally, he would have been scared off if someone confessed such...obsession. But when he looked into Draco's eyes, he knew that the other boy wasn't doing this to spite him or hurt him...and what he had said about his love not being a choice, Harry couldn't help but believe him. He bit his lip, trying to formulate a response. The blond leaned up pulled Harry's lip from under his tooth, mimicking what Harry had done to him earlier. He smiled.

"Don't do that...you'll get a sore." His voice now sounded childishly sweet. Harry laughed softly. It was then he decided that the reason he couldn't think of a response was because he couldn't use words. He had to try his hardest to love Draco. That was the only way. He only hoped it wouldn't destroy them both. He reached out and pulled Draco to him, staring into his eyes before kissing him, sealing a silent promise. Draco moved languidly beneath him, rolling his hips up against Harry's. Harry broke the kiss.

"Draco, I just wanted to say-" Harry began, but Draco shook his head. "There will be time for talking later. I want you to take me Harry. I'm afraid that if we stop now, this moment may never come again. I want you to be the one to have my virtue." Draco sounded so sure, and Harry's heart broke. He cupped Draco's pale face in his hand.

"I'm trying to tell you that I want to try this...I want to try to be with you. So we don't have to rush this." He smiled, but Draco didn't. The blond boy gripped his shoulders.

"You say that now, but tomorrow may be a different story. I've waited so long for this moment, I don't want to pass it up. I'm so scared to lose you, I just want you to take my virginity, only you. Please, this moment could disappear. Harry, please..."

"Draco, listen to me right now. If you've watched me as closely as you say you have, then you know that when I want something, it takes the jaws of life to get me to abandon it. And I want a relationship with you. Have some faith in me if you love me so much, will you? I'm not going to tell you I want to be with you and then abandon you within 24 hours. That's not who I am, and I couldn't do that to you. How could you put me on a pedestal and then turn around and call me fickle? I'm not going to leave you, without good reason. I want to wait for the perfect moment to lose my virginity. Call me old fashioned, but I want it to be breath taking and beautiful and you're the only one who fits that criteria! Man...that sounded really..." Harry trailed off, blushing. Draco smiled weakly,

"Gay?" The blond supplied. Harry nodded, laughing lightly. "Yeah. Now...can we go see Hermione? I'm sure she'll kno what to do about...getting you out of the line of fire. And your parents, if you're sure they'd want it?"

Draco looked deeply into Harry's green eyes. "They'd love nothing more. Especially my mother. You're all she talks about."

Harry blushed more perfusely. "L-Let's go see Hermione." He helped Draco up, while the Slytherin laughed.

Hermione was shocked to say the least. But, when Harry brought Draco into the empty common room, she ran to hug him.

"Draco! I'm so glad to finally be able to...just...oh, it's been three long years!" She hugged him again, tightly. Draco hugged her back.

"Yeah, too long...we have...news, Mione." Draco said as he pulled away. Hermione looked between the both of them for a few short moments, before clapping her hands together enthusiastically. "Oh! This is marvelous! Completely and utterly...oh, my...how long?" She asked. Harry laced his fingers with Draco's.

"Just now, I found him in the bathroom crying and..well...we talked and-" Harry began. Draco smiled.

"Yeah, we had a good long talk and...he's decided to help me and my family come to the Order." Draco looked at his brown haired best friend, who already looked characteristically deep in thought.

"Well...let's go somewhere a bit more private. The Room of Requirement should do nicely." She said. She went over to where she had been sitting and grabbed her bag. Harry grinned.

"We were just there. But yeah, that does seem a bit more secure place to talk about this." He said as they made there way back to the seventh floor. When they arrived, the Room was decorated as a large library, and the look on Hermione's face was priceless to both Harry and Draco. She looked as though she might die, as her large, expressive brown eyes drank in the sight of the expansive shelves of books.

"I don't ever want to leave..." She whispered, before smiling and sitting down at one of the tables. "I can DEFINITELY get some work done in here. Now...sit down, the both of you. We have a lot to discuss if we're going to get anywhere with this."

Draco and Harry smiled at each other, before taking seats opposite the girl. She pulled out a couple sheets of blank parchment, a quill, and an ink pot, and organized them the way she usually did. Parchment dead center, ink pot next to the top right corner of the parchment, quill just below the ink pot. She sighed, content, and looked up at the boys.

"Now...tell me. Are you ready to uproot your family, and possibly disown your family's name and prominent standing in the Pureblood community, Draco." She asked. Draco knitted his eyebrows together, swallowing thickly.

"Yes. If it keeps us all safe, and alive, then so be it." He sounded sure of himself, and it made Harry feel very proud of his new...boyfriend. Hermione nodded, smiling too, and wrote something down on the parchment.

"You're father," she said, not looking up, or stopping her writing, "would he agree to all of this? I know that he isn't abusive or anything of the sort, but I also know that he has no qualms with what the Death Eater's do, in fact, he agrees with it."

Harry looked to Draco, who nodded gravely. "Yeah, he does agree with it...and if I have to disobey him to keep my mother and myself safe, then I will. I'll do anything!"

Hermione nodded, still writing furiously, so fast, that Harry could imagine smoke rising from her quill. She had her tongue stuck out in concentration, and Harry couldn't help but smile. She truly was a special girl. Five minutes later, when Harry was sure her hand would fall off from all of her writing, she dropped the quill, blowing her bangs off her forehead.

"Alright. I'll talk with Dumbledore, and the two of us will get in touch with Narcissa...meanwhile, I want you to pack, but put all your stuff in Harry's trunk. When the train leaves for Christmas holiday tomorrow afternoon, I want you to be on it, don't tell a soul. You'll wear Harry's invisibility cloak. Clear?" She was heated, and passionate, and Harry smiled widely. Draco almost pulled her across the table as he hugged her.

"Hermione...thank you!" He was crying a little. Hermione rubbed small circles on his back. "All in a days work." She whispered.

Harry smoothed back the girls bushy brown hair. "You're like the sister I never got to have." He said softly, and soon, they were all crying.

A few hours later, Draco had brought an assortment of clothes and personal items to the Room of Requirement, and Harry had brought along his trunk. The Room was the same as it was the last time they were alone in it, and it held some sort of comfort for the two of them. Harry, without speaking, set his trunk down on the foot of the bed, and began helping Draco fold his clothes and put them in the trunk. As they both reached for a particularly expensive looking polo shirt, their fingers brushed, and there was almost a visible spark. Harry pulled Draco to him, kissing him passionately, threading his fingers in Draco's soft, sinewy, platinum hair. Draco moaned into the kiss, feeling powerless, but safe, and it was all too much, but not enough, and soon Harry had him against the wall, and it was all Draco could do to hold himself up.

"You're making me weak in the knees, Harry! I feel like I'm going to collapse!" He whispered heatedly. Harry moved his now wet and kiss-bruised lips to Draco's ear.

"Then fall." His voice was weak, but promising. "I'll catch you."

That was all Draco needed to hear. He let himself, mentally let go of his fears for the future. At least for now, he was safe. Safe in Harry's arms. He had never felt this vulnerable, nor had he ever felt this safe. This was perfection, this was bliss...this was Harry. Harry pulled away, smiling.

They both went back to folding the clothes, but after a short while, Harry stood behind Draco, towering slightly over the shorter boy. Draco's back was against Harry's chest, and the raven had his hands on the other boys hips.

"Hmm...you're doing a good job." He said. Draco smiled softly. "Am I?" he supplied. He couldn't really focus, because Harry had begun rubbing circles on Draco's hips and pelvic bone, and it made said blond shiver. Harry chuckled, and Draco felt it rumble against his back, turning him on even more. He got the last item packed away, closed the trunk, and was promptly pushed forward, so that their position was naughty, and uncomfortable for Draco. Sure, he had wanted the sexual contact earlier, but they had moved past the desparity. Harry, who was still standing straight up, with Draco's ass displayed infront of him, ran his hands up Draco's back, exposing the pale skin. He shuddered.

"H-Harry?" His voice sounded nervous, but in the throws of lust, Harry didn't seem to notice. Draco gulped. Wasn't it Harry who said he wanted to wait? Why was he doing this now? Harry had now busied himself with trying to wiggle Draco's trousers down his hips.

"Harry, stop!" Draco whispered. "You're making me nervous!"

Harry didn't seem to hear him, as he pushed his other hand up to brush against Draco's nipple. Draco gasped, having had enough, and turned, pushing the other boy away.

"Draco, what-" Harry began, but Draco cut him off, his lips quivering. "I-I told you to stop!" He looked close to tears, and he bolted from the room. He had grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak, though, so Harry was sure he was still coming with himself and Hermione. But he sat on the bed, feeling guilty...what had he done?

It was a few hours later, and Harry was back in his dorm with Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville. He had on a fake smile as the five of them bickered over a game of Exploding Snap. All was well, until their dorm door flew open. There, standing in her pajamas, which consisted of blue fabric shorts and an oversized gray t-shirt that said 'talk nerdy to me', was Hermione. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, she had bags under her narrowed eyes, and her hands were on her hips.

"Harry James Potter, I need to speak with you." She seethed. When he just sat there staring in shock, she barked, "NOW!" He scampered up and plowed over the Snap game, causing Seamus to complain loudly. Hermione turned her eyes on him. "Shut the hell up!" She yanked Harry out into the hallway, slamming the door shut. Without saying a word, she dragged him out of the common room. They made their way towards the seventh floor.

"Hermione...it's after hours-"

"I don't give a fuck at this point." She hissed. Harry was astounded at her use of language, and decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm not mad at you...I'm mad at this situation." She sighed at the door to the Room opened. It had taken the form of her library again, but this time, it had graciously supplied an overstuffed couch. They both fell into it, and Harry spoke.

"What's wrong, Hermione. What happened?" He asked. She bit her lip.

"Harry...Draco came to me when he left you. He told me when happened. He told me not to tell you this, but I feel like you have a right to know why he got so upset. Harry...when Draco's father was sent to Azkaban, Voldemort decided to take it out on Draco. We all know now that Draco was forced to take the Dark Mark, but that's not all he endured." Hermione paused, because Harry looked like he was about to vomit.

"Oh god." He whispered. Hermione nodded gravely.

"They raped him, Harry." Her voice was somehow strong. She needed to be strong, because she knew that she was the mediator in this relationship. Harry started to sob, falling against his best friends chest.

"Oh god! And I...he must think I...what have I done?" He sounded close to the edge. Hermione shushed him.

"Now, Harry, he loves you. And I know you really care for him. You just have to show him that you'll wait for him...that sex isn't all that your relationship will be about. It may take a while now, after what happened, but you have to try. I talked to Dumbledore. Since Draco's mother will if fact be staying at Headquarters, too, you and Draco will have to share a room. So..." She trailed off. Harry sat up straight, and dried his eyes.

"I'll make it up to him." He said, determination in his voice. "I have to."

Hermione smiled weakly. She was exhausted, but the day's hard work had been worth it. She would sleep good tonight.


End file.
